


A Series of Traumatic Events

by The_power_of_alchemy



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Explosions, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22902250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_power_of_alchemy/pseuds/The_power_of_alchemy
Summary: After an accident that results in injury, Varian struggles returning to normal life. Little did he know that was only the beginning of his troubles...
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Varian, Quirin & Varian (Disney), Rapunzel & Varian (Disney)
Comments: 137
Kudos: 232





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!!! 
> 
> This is my very first fic so there will most likely be plot holes and mistakes. So critique is highly encouraged! Also shout-out to A Series of Unfortunate Events for inspiring the title.
> 
> There isn’t really much gore, but I put the tag anyways just in case. Also there is a little bit of dark thoughts further down the line, so be cautious. 
> 
> This takes place somewhere after A Tale of Two Sisters. 
> 
> Enjoy!!

Quirin loaded the last of the pumpkins into the wheelbarrow when he decided to take a short break. He had been working in the fields all morning, and he wanted to have lunch with Varian. 

Quirin had been spending more and more time with his son after he was freed from his amber prison. They never spent much time together before the incident, and now Quirin realized how much they really needed each other. They were, after all, the only family they had left.

Quirin headed inside to make Varians favorite: ham sandwiches. He walked into the kitchen and started preparing the meal. He himself wasn’t a huge fan of ham sandwiches, but he knew it’d make Varian smile.

After Quirin finished making lunch he went to find Varian. He called down to his lab, but he wasn’t really expecting an answer. Ever since the princess had given Varian the Deminatus Chamber as a new workplace, he was hardly ever in his home lab anymore. He had come to realize Varian didn’t like working at home after what happened with the amber.

Varian normally went down to the Deminatus Chamber early in the morning and was back for lunch, so Quirin found it odd Varian wasn’t home yet. He was almost always late, but never this late. 

Quirin was getting ready to head to the kingdom to look for his son when he heard a pounding knock on the door. It took him a moment to register the noise. Hardly anyone knocked on their door. When Varian got visitors they typically let themselves in. Shortly after there was another knock, rapid and loud. He walked down the stairs and opened the door, surprised to see the Captain of the Guard standing in his doorway. 

“Captain? What are you-“

“Quirin! Thank God you’re home. Quick, you need to come to the palace. It’s urgent!” 

Quirin blinked, confused. ”Captain, whatever The Kings problem is, I’m sure he can handle it hims-“

“No, Quirin, it’s not the king. It’s Varian-he’s been injured.” He interrupted. 

Quirin’s heart stopped. A pit of ice formed in his stomach, and it felt like time had ceased to exist. He couldn’t think or breathe or speak because-

_Varian had been hurt._


	2. Chapter Two

It only took around four hours to get to the palace, but to Quirin it seemed like four days. It didn’t help that the Captain was silent almost the whole way. He claimed he didn’t know anything about Varian's injuries, or what happened. The king simply sent him to retrieve Quirin, and the Captain didn’t wait around to ask questions. 

When they finally arrived at the castle, Quirin ran inside. He barged into the main room, finding the king and queen sitting on their thrones. 

“Where is he? What happened?” Quirin asked, desperate and out of breath. 

“He is in one of the guest rooms. He is still in critical condition. I have some of my best doctors in there with him right now. Nigel will escort you there.” The King answered. 

The king gestured for Nigel to go, and the advisor promptly left the kings side and walked out of the room, Quirin close behind. 

“Nigel,  _ please,  _ tell me what happened.” Quirin sounded frantic, and frankly, he was  _ afraid. _ Nigel had never seen him like this. 

“Well, I don’t know all the details, but it seems like there was some sort of explosion in Varian’s laboratory, and it caused a fire. The explosion made some of the rocks in the cave fall and Varian was pinned underneath the rubble. It was Eugene that retrieved him. He among others heard the explosion and came to help him. Quirin...he inhaled a lot of smoke, and Varian had who knows what chemicals down there burning. We have no way of knowing what he inhaled, or how dangerous it is.” 

The more Nigel explained the more devastated Quirin felt. His son,  _ his only remaining family, _ was severely injured, and he hadn’t been there to protect him. They had no idea what Varian had inhaled, or what it could do to him. The thought made Quirin sick, and it took conscious effort not to pass out.

They eventually arrived at the door, and Nigel led him inside. The room was somber and quiet. There were four men standing around the bed, and once they saw Quirin enter the room, they all took a step back so that he could see his son. 

Quirin hated what he saw. Varian lied on top of the bed, his clothing covered in soot and torn in some places. His gloves were missing and one of his hands was wrapped in bandage. His skin was unnaturally pale, which Quirin once thought was impossible given his natural pale tone. He had burns in certain spots on his skin, and he was drenched in his own sweat. His breathing was short and shallow.

Quirin wanted to throw up. He hated seeing his son like this, no father should  _ ever  _ have to see their child this way. 

Quirin knelt by the bed, and placed his hand on his son's head, brushing Varian’s wet bangs out of his face. He looked up at the doctors standing in the room. 

“Is he going to be okay?” Quirin asked, his voice barely a whisper.

None of the doctors spoke at first. They were all hesitant to respond. After a moment, one of the younger doctors spoke up.

“Well, like I’m sure you already know, we have no idea what kind of smoke he inhaled. It looks to be damaging, but for now we seem to have it under control. He has a fever, something we need to keep a close eye on. He also has multiple cuts which can easily get infected, if they aren’t already. It’s a good thing he’s sleeping though, it means he’s fighting.”

Qurin didn’t speak. He couldn’t. All he could do was stare at his wounded son, watching his shallow breathing like a hawk. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. 

“Did you...did you find a raccoon anywhere? It’s his best friend, they are inseparable.”

It was Nigel who spoke this time. “Yes, he was with the boy the whole time. We took him away so that the doctors could work, but we can bring him in now. The animal was slightly injured as well, but it was nothing compared to…” Nigel glanced at Varian. “I will go retrieve him.

Nigel quickly left, and the doctors left soon afterward, instructing Quirin to fetch one of them if he noticed any change with Varian. Soon it was just Quirin and his son sitting in the much too quiet room, where he would anxiously wait for his little boy to wake up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Another chapter! 
> 
> Let me know what you guys think! Also I apologize if the descriptions of the injuries are horribly inaccurate.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, this chapter was hard to write. I’m not 100% happy with it, but here it is! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Quirin didn’t know when he fell asleep, or _how_ he fell asleep. He had promised himself that he wouldn’t in case something happened with Varian. Thankfully nothing did happen, and when he woke up he found Varian still sleeping with Ruddiger curled up beside him. Quirin smiled to himself. He knew retrieving the animal was a good call. 

Varian had been asleep for almost two days, and it was starting to worry Quirin. His breathing had slowed, but his sleep never wavered. 

People had been in and out of the room multiple times. It was mostly the medics that came in to change the bandages. Every once and a while though, a maid would come in to give Quirin food. He didn’t eat it. He couldn’t. How could he when his son was laying in bed fighting for his life? So he ended up giving all his food to Ruddiger, who happily accepted the offer. 

Quirin stood up from his chair and walked over to the window. He could see the town below them, busy with people. He stared at the cloudy sky, lost in thought. 

Then Quirin heard a noise that made his heart stop. 

“D-Dad?”

It was Varian. His son had woken up! He quickly turned to see Varian struggling to sit up in his bed, and Quirin rushed to his side. 

“Woah-hey there son. Easy, not too fast.” Quirin gently placed the pillow upright so that Varian could sit back comfortably. Varian looked lost, and his eyes scanned the room with a look of confusion on his face. 

“What...happened?” He asked quietly. He didn’t meet his dad's eyes. 

“You don’t remember? There was...an accident at your lab.” Quirin tried, slowly. 

Suddenly everything came back to Varian. The lab, the chemicals, the explosion, the smoke. His breathing quickened and he started trembling. His lab, his _lab_ , what went wrong? The chemicals he mixed shouldn't have reacted that way, they were simple household ingredients. He didn’t understand. 

He remembered feeling trapped under the rubble, feeling utterly and completely _helpless_ as he breathed in the smoke. The smoke that was no doubt extremely dangerous, he had all sorts of chemicals burning. Those chemicals had been in his lungs. He was surprised he was still alive. 

Quirin knew something was wrong. He grabbed Varian’s hand and squeezed it. 

“Hey, it’s okay, you’re safe now. It’s alright. Just breathe.” He said softly. 

After a while, Varian slowly started to calm down. Ruddiger looked at him with concern, and Varian reached down to pet him. His breathing slowed. He finally looked up at his dad, hot tears burning his eyes. 

“Dad, it _hurts._ It hurts everywhere, I can’t _move._ ” 

Quirin was heartbroken. He hated seeing his son like this, hearing the pain in his voice. 

“I know, son. I’m so sorry. Do you want me to get you anything?” He asked. He was no doubt hungry, he had been asleep for two days and Quirin knew he didn’t eat while he was working. Who knows when the boy last ate? 

Varian didn’t respond at first. He just stared at Ruddiger. Then he said,

“Can I get some water? My throat hurts.” 

Quirin simply nodded, and walked over to the door to request his drink. Quirin also asked them for a ham sandwich, thinking that Varian would want one soon anyway. Then he returned to Varian's side. 

Quirin wanted to ask what happened down in the lab prior to the accident, but he didn’t dare set off another panic attack. He’d been through enough, he didn’t need to relive the incident again. 

A few moments later a maid arrived with the water Varian asked for. He took it gratefully and slowly started taking small sips. 

After a minute of quiet, Varian asked, “Dad? C-can I talk to one of the doctors?”

Quirin was surprised by this request, but then thought that Varian would want to know of all his injuries. 

“Yes, son. I will go get them.” Quirin once again walked over to the door, and was startled to see a doctor already standing in the doorway when he opened it. 

“Oh, hello.” He said, “I hear Varian woke up? I wanted to check on him if he’s up for it.”

“Yes, actually, he wanted to talk to you.” Quirin chuckled at the coincidence. 

The doctor walked in and greeted Varian. Apparently his name was Dr. Weber. The two started talking, exchanging words that Quirin didn’t quite understand. 

After the doctor checked in with Varian, he checked in with Quirin. 

“He’s recovering well. He still has a mild fever, but it shouldn’t be anything to worry about. His throat will probably be sore for a while from breathing in all that smoke...so make sure he gets plenty of fluids. He’ll also probably have a cough for a while, but he should be able to go home soon, if everything goes smoothly.” The doctor smiled warmly at Quirin before adding, “Is there anything I can get you?”

Quirin was quiet for a moment before he said, “No, I think I’m alright. Thank you.”

The doctor nodded before heading off. Quirin looked at his son, who was staring out the window, petting Ruddiger absent-mindedly. Quirin knew it must be driving Varian mad to be cooped up for so long; his son could never sit still for long periods of time. He needed to be out conducting experiments or drawing blueprints. 

“It shouldn’t have done that.” Varian quietly said, still staring out the window. “I don’t understand. The chemicals I was making _should not_ have caused an explosion like that.”

Quirin looked at his son. “It’s okay, it was a mistake. It happens-“

“No, dad, I’ve done this experiment before,” Varian interrupted, “It was a simple procedure, something I’ve done thousands of times before. It’s _never_ had a reaction like that and I didn’t change anything.” He turned and looked his father dead in the eyes and said, “I want to go down to the lab.” 

It took a moment for Quirin to register what Varian had just said. He wants to go back down to the lab? The very place that had caused him all this pain? 

“Absolutely not. One, you’re in no condition to go down there. Two, it’s still not stable. There was an _explosion_ , Varian, who knows what rocks are still waiting to collapse? It’s probably all destroyed anyway.”

“Dad, _please_ , I need to find out what happened! If I don’t, I could make the same mistake again. Please, I need to know what I did wrong.” 

Quirin’s heart clenched at the desperation in Varian’s voice. The last thing Quirin wanted was for Varian to go down into that cavern again, especially in the condition he was in. But, Varian was right, if he didn’t know what he did wrong, he could make the same mistake again, and Quirin did _not_ want that to happen. Varian was lucky this time. 

After a while Quirin sighed. “Fine. We can go down and investigate. BUT, we have to wait until you recover a little more, and I will be going down with you. I don’t want something to happen to you.”

Varian’s face lit up. “Really? Yes! Thank you! I’ll be super careful, I promise!” He laughed with joy. Ruddiger could sense the excitement and happily jumped on Varian’s shoulders, which made Varian wince in pain. He carefully reached up and removed the raccoon from his shoulders and started stroking his head. He hated letting his dad see him in pain, he didn’t want him worrying. 

“I’m sorry I caused so much trouble dad.” Varian said quietly. He felt ashamed for making such a huge mistake, a feeling he often had. 

Quirin knelt down beside his son. “Varian, I’m just glad you’re okay. You were very lucky Eugene was able to get you out in time, I don’t know what would’ve happened if…”

His voice died out. He didn’t want to talk about this. He didn’t want to _think_ about it. He was relieved when a knock came at the door.

He didn’t even have time to place his hand on the handle before Rapunzel and Eugene came barging in. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is! I’m sorry if the description of injuries are inaccurate, and also if Quirin’s way of dealing with Varian’s panic attack is unrealistic. 
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments!


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Rapunzel and Eugene are here now!!
> 
> Enjoy!

“Varian! Hey buddy, how are you doing?” Rapunzel greeted. 

“I’m fine, I guess.” Varian answered. He didn’t really feel fine, in fact he was still in a lot of pain, but he didn’t really want them to leave either. He enjoyed the company. 

Eugene walked over and ruffled Varian’s hair. 

“Glad to hear your recovery is going well, kid.” He smiled warmly. “Oh, and, we brought you some things to keep you busy while you’re resting.” 

Varian was, to say the least, surprised. He wasn’t expecting gifts. Besides his birthday, no one really bought him anything.

Eugene pulled out a small stack of books, three to be precise, and handed them to Varian. He carefully examined the books before he started grinning wildly. 

“These-these are the newest Flynn Rider books! I...how did you get these?! This one isn’t even released yet in some places! Thanks Eugene!” 

Eugene nodded, and placed his hand on Varian’s shoulder, matching the grin on the boy's face. Eugene had to go to the next town over to get the books because they weren’t released in Corona yet, but he knew this was worth it. 

Quirin smiled to himself. He was overjoyed to see Varian acting himself again. He loved seeing Eugene and his son interact, they had an almost brotherly relationship that Varian never had before, and it was comforting to Quirin. 

“My turn!” Rapunzel beamed. She walked over to the bed and gently sat down next to Varian. She placed a small notebook and two pencils on the bedspread. The notebook had a painting of all his friends. It had Rapunzel, Eugene, Lance, his dad, Ruddiger, and Varian all painted beautifully on the cover. 

“I know you lost all your research in the fire, so I made you a new notebook to record your new research! It’s not much, but-“

“It’s perfect!” Varian interrupted. “I love it, Rapunzel. Thank you. I’m glad I didn’t break my dominant hand!” He joked as he waved his right hand. 

“Aw, I’m glad you like it.” Rapunzel said with a small smile. Truthfully, she had been worried Varian’s right hand would have been the broken one, but by the time she thought of that she had already finished painting the cover. 

They talked for about an hour and a half longer, and it was mostly Eugene that did the talking. At first he tried making jokes, but he stopped once he noticed laughing was causing Varian to wince in pain. So he changed the subject to science in an attempt to get him to talk a little more. A strategy that worked all too well. 

After awhile, Eugene started reading one of Varian’s new Flynn Rider books out loud to him. Quirin was asleep on the couch, which he finally felt safe doing now that there were other people in the room keeping Varian company. 

Varian eventually fell asleep listening to Eugene read, feeling comfortable and content. Rapunzel nudged Eugene's shoulder and glanced at the boy, smiling. Eugene looked up from the book and saw what Rapunzel meant. He closed the book and set it on the nightstand, and linked arms with Rapunzel. For a moment, they just stood there, watching Varian sleep soundly. 

“We should probably go, Blondie. He needs his rest, and he’s probably exhausted. Today was the most interaction he’s got since the accident.” Eugene whispered. 

Rapunzel sighed. “You’re right. It’s just so nice to see him so peaceful.”

Rapunzel had been in her room when Eugene brought Varian to the castle, limp in his arms. It was the panicked voices that brought her out of her bedroom, opening her door to a room full of people scrambling around. She immediately went to find Eugene, but when she did, her heart sank. He was holding Varian, looking almost lifeless and broken. Frederick was there, and he said something along the lines of, “Get him to a room, and get the royal medic, now,” and then turned to the Captain and said, “Go get Quirin and bring him here at once.” To which the Captain nodded and ran off. 

Rapunzel had gone into the room with Eugene and the doctors, but she felt paralyzed. All she could do was stand there and watch the doctors tend to Varians many injuries. Once Eugene delicately placed Varian in the bed, he went over to comfort The Princess.

Rapunzel remembered not being able to see Varian breathing, and it had caused her to panic. And how she felt pure terror as the doctors started to perform CPR. 

Quirin didn’t know about that part. 

But now, standing there watching Varian sleeping quietly, she felt calm. She will never forget that day, and she will most definitely have nightmares about it, but for now, she just wanted to soak in the peaceful moment. 

They eventually left the room, closing the door quietly behind them. Eugene took her hand and they walked down the hallway in silence. 


	5. Chapter 5

_“Ah, yes! Finally! My newest experiment is ready to be conducted! I just have to make the base, but that’ll be easy. I’ve made it plenty of times before.” Varian stated as he moved his goggles over his eyes._

_“Ruddiger! G-get out of there buddy! Oh! When I went into town earlier I got you some apples, they’re in the basket over there. Why don’t you go and eat while I work on this?” Varian suggested._

_The raccoon happily bounced away, and Varian turned back to his work. He grabbed two bottles, one contained a liquid labeled “hydrogen peroxide,”and the other had a liquid labeled “vinegar.” The label on the vinegar bottle was peeling off, so Varian pressed it back onto the bottle and shrugged it off._

_Varian crouched down so he was eye level with the beakers. He slowly poured the vinegar in with the hydrogen peroxide. What this would create was Peracetic acid, which was an irritant, so Varian made a mental note to be extra careful. If he came home with another burn, his dad would not be happy._

_But this wasn’t reacting the way Varian was expecting. There was a powder-like substance that started to form in the beaker, which was definitely_ not _supposed to happen. Varian stood up from his crouched position, but in doing so, he accidentally bumped the table, and in an instant, the beaker exploded and it sent Varian tumbling. He was thrown into a wall which made him shout in pain. He clung to conciseness as he struggled to stand up._

_The explosion was so huge it had made the whole mountain shake. Varian stood up straight and tried to look around. His ears were ringing and his vision was blurry, but after a moment he could make out his surroundings. He looked over to the table he was working at, which was now on fire. The flames were huge, and burning dangerously close to his shelf of chemicals._

_He suddenly remembered that Ruddiger was somewhere in this mess, and Varian looked around desperately for his friend._

_Varian found Ruddiger underneath a burning table, and he ran over to help him. He was trapped, and terrified. Without thinking, Varian reached under the table and grabbed the raccoon. He cried out when he felt the fire burning his skin, but he had to get Ruddiger out. He successfully saved the animal and held him close. He was scared but otherwise unharmed.  
_

_Varian scanned the room for a way out, but he couldn’t see anything. The stairway that led out had collapsed, and that was the only exit._

_Varian was terrified. He had no idea what to do. The fire was starting to spread, but thankfully there wasn’t much wooden furniture so it shouldn’t burn long. He was only worried about the chemicals._

_There was a loud crack sound that came from above Varian. He looked up, only to see a cluster of rocks falling toward him. He didn’t even have time to react before it came raining down on top of him._

_He immediately knew he had broken multiple bones. He screamed in anguish, his left hand was completely crushed underneath one of the boulders. He was trapped underneath the rocks and had no way out of the collapsing mountain._

_He felt pain_ everywhere. _His chest hurt and it was becoming harder and harder to breathe, and his head was throbbing. The smoke burned as it traveled down his throat into his chest, and he started to lose hope. He was just glad Ruddiger has managed to jump out of his arms in time._

_Just about when he thought this was the end, Varian heard a familiar voice. It sounded like...Eugene? How he got down here, he had no idea. His voice sounded distant, and he struggled to open his eyes and look at him._

_Eugene was running toward him, calling his name._

_“Eugene…” Varian tried to speak, but his voice was weak and gravelly. God, it even hurt to_ talk. 

_“Shh, it’s okay, kid, I’m gonna get you out of here. Stay with me, do_ not _close your eyes.” Eugene responded._

_Varian tried his hardest to comply, but it was getting hard. Eugene eventually managed to move the rocks just enough to pull Varian out, and he scooped up the skinny boy with ease._

_Varian was struggling to keep his eyes open. He ultimately gave up and fell asleep in Eugene's arms._

  
  


-

“Varian! Varian, wake up!”

Varian sat up with a gasp. He was covered in sweat and breathing heavily, hot tears running down his face. His dad was sitting next to him with a hand on his shoulder. 

“Hey...it’s okay, son. I’m here. It was just a dream. You’re alright, nothing can hurt you here.” Quirin quietly said. He squeezed his hand, a small sign of comfort. 

Varian started to relax. He looked at his dad a split second before looking away again, starting at the floor. He _hated_ feeling this way. His dad was probably ashamed to have such a weak son, a son who woke up crying because of a stupid nightmare. 

“I’m sorry, dad. I didn’t mean to wake you. You should move into another guest room so you can get proper sleep.” 

Quirin looked dumbfounded. “Varian, you do not need to apologize. You went through something very traumatic, I’d be surprised if you _didn’t_ have nightmares. And no, I will not move to another room, I want to stay here with you in case you need me. You are so strong, Varian. I know you can get through this. Do you want to talk about your nightmare?”

Varian was shocked. He was not expecting that answer. How could his dad think he was strong? Fresh tears started to stream down his face. 

“N-no. I think...I think I just want to try to get back to sleep, i-if I can.” He said softly. Quirin nodded and started to walk back over to his couch, before Varian spoke again. 

“And Dad?” He said, “Th-thank you. For waking me up, for being here...for everything.” He looked at his father affectionately. 

“Of course, son. Now try and get some sleep, if you can.” He smiled as he laid back down. “Oh, and if you need anything, and I mean _anything,_ do not hesitate to wake me up. Got it?” He added. 

“Okay Dad. Thanks.” Varian agreed as he laid his head down on the silk pillow. 

At first, Varian didn’t want to go back to sleep. He was horrified he’d have another nightmare. But, he realized, he didn’t have anything to worry about. Not when he had his dad here to protect him. 

Slowly he drifted off into a peaceful sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My boy has nightmares :(
> 
> Let me know what you guys think! Do you have any theories on anything?
> 
> I know the plot line is kind of slow right now, but it’ll pick up soon, I promise :)
> 
> Also-disclaimer: I did a little bit of chemistry research for this but not a ton, so if things are scientifically inaccurate, I apologize.


	6. Chapter 6

A few days later Varian was well enough to go home. He had silently hoped they’d go straight down to the lab, but when they didn’t, he didn’t say anything. He knew his dad wasn’t keen on going down at all, and he didn’t want to push it. 

It took a few hours to get to Old Corona, and Varian read his new books almost the entire way. He’d already almost finished them. 

When they got back to Old Corona, Varian noticed lots of people watching him. He could feel their eyes burning into the back of his head as he made his way slowly through town. He tried not to let it bother him, but deep down, it did. 

Varian immediately went up to his room. He struggled to get up the stairs, but he managed to climb up without assistance, a small accomplishment. 

Varian placed his books and notebook on his dresser when he heard his dad call his name. Varian turned to see his dad walking toward the doorway. 

“Hey, son. I was thinking about going down to your lab earlier, and…” He explained slowly. 

Varian was suddenly anxious. Had his dad changed his mind? He  _ needed  _ to go down there and figure out what caused the explosion. 

“...and I thought maybe we could go tomorrow morning. Do you think you’ll be feeling up to it?” 

Varian was stunned. They were gonna go  _ tomorrow?  _ That’s much sooner than he was expecting! He was thrilled!

“Y-yes, that’s perfect!” Varian beamed. “Thanks, dad, I can’t wait! I’ll have to pack some materials so I can properly examine the area…” He trailed off as he started searching his room for things to bring. 

Quirin laughed at Varian’s excitement. “Don’t push yourself, Varian. If you’re not feeling ready, we could always wait another day.”

“No!” Varian said quickly. “Uh, I mean, nope! No, I think I’ll be fine.”

Quirin nodded and turned to walk off. Varian returned to browse his room for anything that might help him identify the cause of the explosion. 

-

When Varian woke up the next day, he jumped out of bed and got dressed as quick as he could. (Which wasn’t very quick, he was still  _ very  _ sore, and getting dressed with a broken hand was easier said than done.)

He grabbed his bag of equipment and headed downstairs, where he could already smell his dad making breakfast. 

“Hey Dad. Breakfast smells great!” He greeted upon entering the kitchen. 

“Morning Varian. Are you ready to head out?” Quirin responded, placing a plate of waffles on the table. 

“More than ready! I can’t wait to get down there. I’ve been trying to figure out what could’ve caused the chemicals to react the way they did, but I haven’t been able to draw any conclusions yet. Not that it should have reacted that way. Hydrogen peroxide and vinegar don’t explode when they are combined.” Varian said, all rather quickly. 

“Maybe one of the chemicals got mixed with something else on accident?” Quirin suggested, sitting down with his own plate of food. 

“Highly unlikely,” Varian mumbled, mouth full of waffle. “My lab may be messy, but I am meticulous when it comes to the storage of my chemicals.” 

They puzzled while they ate and then finished getting ready to leave. Varian started feeling tired and his legs started to ache, but he forced himself to continue helping his father get ready. 

-

As what remained of Varian’s ex-lab came into view, Quirin felt a wave of dread wash over him. This was the same place Varian very nearly lost his life. Yet here they were, back and about to go in. 

Quirin spotted a man walking toward them. He quickly identified the man as Xavier, the blacksmith. Varian had requested that he come along due to his knowledge of science. In fact, he was the only person Varian had met that knew  _ anything _ about science. 

“Hi Xavier! Thank you for agreeing to meet us.” Varian greeted. 

Xavier chucked. “Hello, Varian. Nice to see you again. How are you feeling this fine morning?” 

“Well enough, thanks. I’m just excited to go in and finally get to the bottom of this explosion.” Varian answered, smiling. 

Varian walked over to the entrance of the cave to inspect the entryway as Quirin approached Xavier. 

“Xavier. Long time no see. How’ve you been?” He said. 

“Yes, it has been a few years, hasn’t it? The last time we met was...Varian’s seventh birthday, wasn’t it?” He smiled at the memory. “I remember he came wandering into my shop and found my glow in the dark paints. He was fascinated.” He looked over to Varian, who was still inspecting the entrance. 

“I’ve been well.” Xavier continued. “I was grief-stricken when I heard what happened to Varian. He and I had quite an adventure on the search for the lost treasure of Herz Der Sonne, and I feel we really bonded.”

“Yes, yes. Varian told me all about that.” Quirin said, laughing. “Shall we..head in?” He asked. 

“Yes, I suppose we shall.” Xavier replied, turning to meet Varian. 

The two men walked over to the boy, who looked to have found a way in. 

“Most of the entrance has collapsed, but if we go in through here…” He walked over to a path hidden in the rubble. “We should be able to get in.” He looked at his dad with a smile on his face. 

Xavier walked to the small path. “Well then, what are we waiting for?” 

They all stepped through the passage, single file, and made their way into the lab. It was cramped, and Quirin was glad when they finally made it through. He was getting claustrophobic. 

Varian was the first to reach the end of the tunnel, with Quirin close behind. When Quirin stepped out of the passageway, he found Varian simply standing there, completely still. 

Varian knew his lab was destroyed, but seeing it now, he was devastated. He had spent hours working in here, and now it was gone. Just like that. He felt his dad place a hand on his shoulder. 

Varian snapped out of his trance, and got back to work. He walked over to his charred workbench and started searching for something,  _ anything _ , that might have been preserved. All he found was broken glass and rocks. 

Quirin didn’t really know what to do, or what he was supposed to be looking for, but he tried to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. 

After a long while of searching, Quirin turned to Varian, who was still desperately looking for anything that wasn’t destroyed. 

“Son, we’ve turned this place upside down. There isn’t anything here-“

“No, no there has to be  _ something _ . It can’t all be gone! I just..need to look over here. I don’t think I double checked this spot.” He quickly responded. 

Varian stumbled over to a small corner in a last attempt to find something. 

Quirin sighed, and said, “Varian, we’ve been down here for hours, I think we would’ve found something-“ He looked up to see Varian still searching in the corner, but he had disturbed the rocks and it appeared it was about to topple on top of him. 

“Varian! Get out of there!” Quirin sprinted toward his son in panic. 

Varian looked up and saw the boulders about to rain down on him, and he froze. Quirin managed to push him out of the way just before the rocks came crashing to the ground. 

Varian tumbled across the room, and Xavier rushed over to help him. Quirin had managed to avoid being crushed by a few inches, thankful he had been able to reach Varian in time. 

Varian groaned as he tried to stand up, his right hand wrapped around his ribcage. Xavier assisted him, helping him stand upright. Varian looked to the ground as his dad approached. 

Quirin kneeled down to his son's height and took him by the shoulders. “Are you hurt?” 

Varian continued starting at the ground. “I’m okay dad. I’m sorry.” Tears started forming in his eyes. He felt embarrassed. He’d screwed up  _ again,  _ and this time he almost got himself  _ and  _ his dad hurt. 

“You’ve got to be more careful, Varian! It’s very unstable down here, I don’t want you getting injured.” Quirin scolded. 

“I know. I-I’m sorry.” He said, tears streaming down his face. “I just wanted to find something. I just d-don’t want to leave empty handed. If I don’t find anything, th-then I won’t know what I did wrong, and if I don’t know what I did wrong, I c-could end up making the mistake again and I..I  _ really  _ don’t want that to happen. Actually, I-I’m  _ terrified  _ that’ll happen. I d-don’t want to h-hurt anyone.” Varian was sobbing, curled up on the ground in a panic. 

Quirin was startled by Varian’s reaction. He figured the boy was shaken from almost being crushed again, and he didn’t blame him. He felt bad for causing Varian to break down like this. He gently took his son and pulled him close and held him. 

Varian stiffened at first, not expecting this act of affection. His dad hardly ever hugged him. Not anymore. But Varian relaxed and let his dad hold him, trying to calm his breathing. 

“It’s alright Varian. We’ll get to the bottom of this, okay? You, me, and Xavier. We’ll figure it out. Together.” He spoke softly to his son. 

Varian stood, wiping his tears. “Thanks, dad.” He smiled weakly. “Let’s get out of this place. There’s nothing here, anyway.” 

They exited the cave, and Varian felt empty. He was really hoping to find something. 

Then, Xavier saw something out of the corner of his eye. It was a discoloration in the bushes at the entrance of the lab, and upon closer examination, he discovered that it was a little purple bag. 

“Hey, Varian! Quirin! I think I found something over here.” He called. 

Varian came over as fast as he could, with Quirin close behind. 

“What is it?” He asked, eyes wide. 

Xavier pulled out two small bottles, one labeled  _ Vinegar  _ and the other labeled  _ Acetone.  _ The acetone was empty while the vinegar was full. 

“Hey, I was using vinegar in my experiment. I was making peracetic acid with vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. But I don’t know where the acetone came from. I haven’t had any of that for a while. I ran out a few months ago.” Varian explained. 

Xavier looked to be in deep thought. “You said you were using hydrogen peroxide and vinegar, correct? You were  _ not  _ using hydrogen peroxide and acetone?”

“Yeah, hydrogen peroxide and vinegar. Simple ingredients, really.” Varian said. 

Xavier pondered for a while longer before realization dawned on him. He looked Varian dead in the eyes and said, “Varian, when you were working with these chemicals, did you notice anything out of the ordinary? An unusual color, perhaps?”

Varian thought for a moment before he said, “Actually, I noticed the label on the vinegar was peeling off. I just figured it was falling off because the label was pretty old. Didn’t think anything of it, why?”

Xavier’s eyes widened in shock. “Varian, I don’t think you were using vinegar. Do you know what hydrogen peroxide and acetone make?”

Varian shook his head. 

“It creates an explosive called Triacetone Triperoxide, or TATP, and its effects are devastating. You said the label was peeling off? Well, I don’t think it was because it was old.” Xavier said. 

Varian felt nauseous. “You think…?” He said slowly.

Xavier slowly nodded. “Yes. I believe someone switched your chemicals.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gasp* A cliffhanger!! Kind of!! Also I love Xavier’s and Varian’s relationship in the show, I wish we saw more of it! 
> 
> Shout out to @EmPro8 for guessing that someone blew up his lab on purpose. 
> 
> Let me know any theories you have on who it was!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This chapter was pretty hard to write, and I’m sorry if the pacing seems a little weird.
> 
> Also!! The episode this morning!! What a finale that was. No spoilers here, but it was pretty great. 
> 
> P.S: there are some dark thoughts in this chapter. So, read carefully. It’s not anything super bad, but still. Stay safe. :)

Quirin was filled with blinding rage. Someone had done this to Varian  _ on purpose.  _

Who would’ve done this to him? Someone who still hasn’t forgiven him for his crimes against Corona? This seems a little extreme for that. Varian nearly lost his  _ life.  _

All Quirin could think about was finding the person who had done this. And his mind kept going back to the same place: Cassandra. 

It made perfect sense. She had recently betrayed Rapunzel, and even more recently kidnapped Varian to get the incantation. Something Quirin has yet to forgive her for. 

Varian had been quiet ever since they discovered the accident wasn’t actually an accident. He couldn’t believe that someone had tried to kill him. 

Varian and Quirin parted ways with Xavier and they headed back home in silence. 

When they got back to their house that night, Varian went straight up to his room and closed the door. He was lost in thought. He couldn’t help thinking that someone had done this as an act of revenge. Maybe someone hadn’t forgiven him for his crimes. 

Varian heard a small knock on his door and Quirin stepped inside. 

“Hey Varian. Are you doing okay?” He asked quietly. 

“Uh, yeah. I’m.. fine.” Varian responded without much expression. 

“I know what we discovered today is...disturbing, and I swear, Varian, we will find whoever did this to you, and they will rot in jail forever.” Quirin said. Then, after a beat, “Do you wanna talk about anything?”

Even though Quirin didn’t spend a whole lot of time with Varian when he was younger, he could always tell when something was bothering the boy. Though he tried, Varian was never really good at masking emotions. 

Varian looked up at his dad and then looked back to the ground before he finally asked the question that’s been on his mind for hours. “Dad, I keep thinking that whoever did this was trying to get back at me for what I did to Corona. Because what I did was... unforgivable, and I probably deserve it-“

“Varian, stop it. Whoever did this did it because they are twisted and evil. You did  _ not _ deserve it. You may have done bad things in your past, but that’s the past. You are trying to make up for your mistakes, which is very mature of you. You’ve grown a lot since then, and I am so proud of you.” Quirin said. 

Joy and pride swelled in Varian’s chest. 

_ His father was proud of him.  _

Tears filled Varian’s eyes and he hugged his dad. 

“Thanks, Dad. I-I should probably get ready for bed.” He said as he pulled away. 

“Yes, I will see you in the morning. Goodnight, Varian.” Quirin said has he left the room. 

Varian had a grin on his face as he changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed, Ruddiger climbing on top of him. 

Although things took a turn today, Varian knew everything would end up okay. 

-

_ Varian woke up to the sun shining through his bedroom window. He yawned and hopped out of bed.  _

_ Varian had started getting ready for the day when he realized something phenomenal. He had  _ no  _ pain! His aches, his sore limbs, it all miraculously disappeared!  _

_ Varian bounded down the stairs with Ruddiger on his shoulders. Today was going to be a good day.  _

_ Varian found his dad sitting on the couch in the living room, staring into the crackling fireplace.  _

_ “Hey, Dad! How was your rest?” He beamed as he entered the room.  _

_ “Don’t ‘ _ Hey Dad’  _ me, Varian. I’m not in the mood. God, it’s too early in the morning for this amount of annoyance.” Quirin spat.  _

_ Varian blinked in surprise, hurt. “Did..did I do something wrong?” He asked, feeling small and vulnerable.  _

_ “Did you do something  _ wrong? _ Varian, it’s more like what you  _ didn’t  _ do wrong. Look at this mess you’ve made! You blew up your lab, which was given to you by the  _ princess,  _ and now all you want to do is figure out who was the cause of all this mess. Well, I’ll tell you who’s to blame for this.  _ You.  _ No wonder someone tried to blow you up. It was only a matter of time.”  _

_ Varian broke down, choking on sobs. “Dad...I don’t understand... why-?” _

_ “Do not call me ‘ _ Dad.’ _ You’re not my son. You are a disgrace. How could I ever be proud of a no-good son like you?” Quirin hissed. “I want you out. Gone. By tonight. And I never want to see you again.” _

_ - _

Varian gasped as he sat upright in bed. He was crying, and Ruddiger was pawing at him in an attempt to comfort him. It was still dark outside, and pouring rain. 

Without thinking, Varian got out of bed and started gathering his things together. His dream was right, no one could be proud of a screw-up like him. 

Although it was just a dream, Varian couldn’t help feeling like there was some sort of truth behind it. Similarly to the dream he got while hanging in the air at Cass’s fortress. He finished packing his things and quietly left the house. Then he ran. He ran and ran until he couldn’t run anymore. 

His dad would be better off without him, Varian thought. It’d be better if he just disappeared. So that’s what he planned to do. He’d go to the next town over, and make a new life for himself. 

Varian had overestimated himself. He was not in any shape to be running, and soon he stumbled to the ground, twisting his ankle. He cried out as he crashed into the ground, but got up and continued walking. His eyes were wet with tears, and he could hardly see where he was going. He didn’t even see the root sticking out of the ground, and he tripped, stumbling down a hill. His head smacked into a rock, and he knocked himself unconscious. 

-

The little goth demon smiled as she watched the events unfold before her. She had given the boy a dream before, and it was no different the second time.

Her first plan didn’t work out the way she wanted, so she decided to go with a plan that had worked with Varian in Cassandra’s tower. 

She hadn’t expected the dream to work so well, however. When she saw the alchemist run out of the house she felt a mixture of surprise and humor. The boy really was stupid to believe a dream had any meaning. 

Then again, it  _ was  _ her dream that had given him the fourth incantation. 

She took a step back and decided to see how it all played out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zhan Tiri has arrived! What do you all think? Let me know in the comments! I appreciate any I get! :D


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one of my favorite chapters to write, so I hope you enjoy it! :)

Quirin knew that it was a noise that had woken him up, but he didn’t know what had made the noise. Quirin glanced at the window. It was the middle of the night. 

Quirin got out of bed and inspected the house, trying to identify the source of the noise. He wandered into each room, checking them off one by one. 

He reached Varian’s room, but paused when he noticed the door was opened slightly. He found that odd. Varian always shut the door when he went to bed. 

Quirin stepped into the room. He was alarmed when he didn’t see Varian. He rushed over to the bed, throwing the blankets off in a panic. Varian wasn’t there. He scanned the room, and found his dresser drawers opened and clothes were scattered on the floor. 

Quirin ran down the stairs, desperately checking the rest of the house. Then he laid eyes on the front door, and he froze. 

The front door was cracked open. Varian was gone. 

Quirin grabbed a lantern and his sword, and ran out the door, calling Varian’s name frantically. He had no way of knowing which way he had gone, or how long it’d been since he left. 

But then he looked down and saw small footprints in the mud. Quirin was thankful it had been raining. 

He quickly followed the footprints, which lead to the edge of the woods, and he hesitated. It would be harder to track Varian in the woods. But Quirin stepped into the forest and continued searching for him. 

-

Varian groaned weakly as his eyes fluttered open. He had an intense headache, and when he tried to sit up he suddenly felt very nauseous. He turned to the side and violently threw up. 

He attempted to stand up, but toppled into a tree. He had a hard time keeping his balance, and took a moment to try and gather his thoughts. 

How long had he been knocked out? It was still dark outside, so it couldn't have been long. He tried standing again, leaning into the tree for support. 

Varian searched for his bag of supplies, but it looked to have been lost when he fell. He slowly started limping away, trying to find his way out of the forest. 

He still wanted to try and make it to the next town over, to start fresh. He knew that if he went back and his dad saw the mess he’s gotten himself into...well, he didn’t want to think about it. 

The more rational part of Varian thought that he  _ needed  _ to go back. He’d hurt himself, and he most likely needed to rest. He felt drained, and exhausted. 

He eventually gave up trying to find his way out and slumped against a fallen tree, resting his eyes. Slowly he fell unconscious. 

-

Quirin followed the footprints for quite some time before it led him to the edge of a small hill, and he felt a wave of fear wash over him. 

He quickly but carefully made his way down the hillside, scouring the surrounding area for any sign of his son. 

What he saw made his chest feel tight with fear. 

It was a rock, covered in blood. 

Quirin's search became more frantic, if Varian was hurt, he needed to get to him,  _ now.  _

-

“Hey! Kid! Get up!” 

Strange voices echoed in his head as Varian slowly regained consciousness. He felt strong hands grab him and forcefully pulled him to his feet. 

Varian looked up and saw three people, two men and one woman. One of the men wore a hood, covering most of his face. He was tall, and big. The other man was shorter, almost scrawny looking, and the woman had long black hair tied up in a ponytail, wearing dark clothing and holding a knife. 

“Wh..what-“ Varian tried, weakly. 

“C’mon, kid. Get a move on. We gotta go.” The taller man said. He seemed to be their leader. He thrust Varian forward, toward some horses, which appeared to be how the group got there. 

Varian struggled as they tried to tie his hands, and the shorter man said, “Quit moving around kid!” And when he didn’t, he got a quick punch to the stomach, making him double over. 

They forced him on one of the horses. “What...do you want...from me?” He asked through clenched teeth. 

“We were on our way back from…  _ a job.  _ Then we saw you. We thought our boss might like you. You are the famous alchemist that almost killed the Princess  _ and  _ the Queen, right?” The woman said, smirking. 

Varian winced. He hated that that’s how they recognized him. A criminal. A villain. 

They heard a branch snap behind them, and they all whipped their heads around to see what had been watching them. 

A dark figure appeared from out of the shadows. 

“Leave. Him. Alone.” He said. 

It was Quirin. His dad was here! 

“Oh, yeah? And what’ll you do if we don’t?” Their leader said. “Our boss would love this little  _ gift _ , and you’re not about to get in our way.” 

Quirin took out his sword, and said, “Would you like to find out?” 

The three bandits jumped off their horses and unsheathed their weapons. The leader and the woman ran toward Quirin, while the short man stayed with Varian, ensuring he didn’t escape. 

Quirin fought off his attackers. He was rusty with a sword, but these two were easy to fend off. He punched the man in the stomach, and when he doubled over in pain, hit him in the face. He fell over, unconscious. The woman ran toward him, sword raised high, and Quirin blocked her attack. He tripped her, and she dropped her weapon as she fell. Quirin took her sword and pointed it at her face. 

“Don’t get up.” He said simply. 

Quirin turned to find the last of the bandits, but when he approached the small man, he took hold of Varian and held a small knife to his throat. 

“Don’t come any closer, man! I  _ will  _ kill this boy!” 

Quirin stopped dead in his tracks, terrified to move forward. His eyes widened in fear for his son. Anger filled every part of his being. 

_ No one was going to hurt his boy.  _

Quirin dropped his sword. 

“That’s it...now I’m just going to be on my way.  _ Don’t  _ follow me. Or your precious little boy will be punished. Got it?” 

Quirin felt helpless. If he moved to help Varian, he could end up killing him. He looked at his son, who was staring back at him, eyes wide and filled with tears, completely terrified. Then Varian’s expression changed to one of anger and determination. 

Varian aggressively stomped on his captors right foot, causing him to cry out in pain and drop his knife. Quirin took this opportunity to run toward his son, who had kicked the knife out of reach. Quirin held his sword to the man, protectively standing in front of Varian. 

“You think twice about trying to hurt my son next time.” He lowered his sword so he could meet the bandit face to face. “Got it?” 

The small man gulped and nodded, and then he ran to his bandit friends and they all scrambled away. 

Quirin turned to Varian, and untied his hands. “Varian. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” He asked tenderly. 

“Actually, I think I have a concussion…” Varian responded quietly. “But, it wasn’t from them. I hit my head a while back.” 

Quirin placed his hand on the back of Varian’s head, which made him wince in pain, and when Quirin pulled his hand away, it was covered in blood.

He needed to get him home. 

“C’mon, son. Let’s go back and get you patched up, huh?” He offered. 

And so they turned and started walking toward home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love me some protective Quirin defending his son. What did you guys think? Let me know! :D


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This chapter is basically a comfort chapter and it’s just Quirin and Varian talking about problems. I tend to get kinda sappy so...enjoy! :D

After Quirin had treated Varians injuries, he instructed him to rest in bed. He had gotten a concussion, like Varian had suspected, and the only treatment for that was rest. 

Quirin still didn’t know the whole story behind why Varian left; if it was the bandits who took him, or if he simply ran away. 

Though he didn’t understand  _ why _ he would run away. They had made such good progress the night before, it was a nice moment. It just didn’t make sense that he would leave so suddenly. So, he decided to ask him. 

Quirin had made Varian soup, figuring some comfort food would make him feel a little better. Quirin had used his wife’s recipe, the same one she always used when the toddler got sick. She had a knack for cooking, soups being one of her specialties. 

Quirin softly knocked on Varian’s door before letting himself in. Varian looked startled to see his dad, and he figured he must’ve woken him up. 

“Hey, son. I uh, made you some lunch, if you’re interested.” He said as he set the bowl down on the small nightstand beside him. 

“Oh, thanks Dad. Is it…?” He trailed off.

“One of mom’s, yes. Chicken noodle, one of your old favorites.” Quirin responded to the unasked question. 

“Mm. Yeah, I think I remember that.” Varian smiled, looking down at Ruddiger, who was still asleep at his feet. 

Quirin sighed and asked his question. “Varian, last night..what caused you to leave? Did the bandits break in and take you, or...did you leave on your own?” The question was hard to ask, and no doubt hard to receive. 

Varian stiffened as the words left his dad's mouth. He knew he’d ask him at some point, but he hadn’t necessarily expected it to be so soon. And he didn’t really have an answer right now. 

“Well, if I’m honest, I don’t really know. I...had this dream last night. It wasn’t like my last nightmare, where real events just sort of replayed in my head. You were there...and you were angry at me for something. You...you told me that…” Varian didn’t think it’d be this hard to tell his dad what happened. He felt the all-to-familiar feeling of tears forming in his eyes. He continued.

“You told me that you could never be proud of a screw-up like me, and that this whole Demanitus Chamber explosion mess is my fault. That...that it wasn’t surprising that someone had tried to kill me... and that it was only a m-matter of time before someone had enough of me. You asked me to leave. And that you never wanted to s-see me again. And when I woke up, I packed my things and left. I wasn’t really thinking about what I was doing. It was like my mind was blank and my body was moving on it’s own.” Varian looked up at his dad and continued, ”I’m really sorry, Dad. I messed up, big time, and you had to come and save me. Again. I’m a pathetic excuse for a son.” 

By the time he had finished, Varian had tears streaming down his face, and he was curled up, knees to his chest as his arms wrapped around his legs. 

The longer Varian spoke, the more Quirin’s heart sank. It was becoming clear how Varian viewed himself, and even more clear that it was self-destructive. He walked over and sat on the end of the bed. 

“Varian, I’m so sorry. That dream sounds horrible. But you know I would never,  _ ever _ say those things to you, right? You are my son, and you are  _ not  _ pathetic. I told you last night and I’ll tell you again. I’m proud of you, Varian. You are compassionate, and smart beyond your years. How could I not be proud to have a son like you?” 

Varian looked up at his dad and sniffled. “B-but I always mess things up. I-I’ve ruined our family name, everyone in the village thinks of me as a-an irritating ex-convict. I don’t know if anyone can ever really forgive me for what I d-did. That’s the one thing I kept thinking when I...when I left. I th-thought I’d just go to the next town and start o-over.” He finished, and wiped his face with his sleeve. 

Quirin was quiet for a moment. He knew his son had beaten himself up for his mistakes, but never like  _ this.  _ Varian had been ridiculed for years by the people in the village, and Quirin tried to shield his son from the worst of it. But it was impossible to keep all of it from getting to Varian. And it had to have been damaging. 

Quirin took Varian in his arms and held him. “Varian, everyone makes mistakes in life. Sure, yours may have been...a little extreme. But no one goes their whole life without any regrets. And yes, maybe there will be people who don’t forgive you. But that doesn’t mean that  _ everyone _ hates you. You’ve got Rapunzel, and Eugene, Lance, Ruddiger...and me. You’ve got people who love you, Varian. Don’t ever forget that.”

Varian looked his dad in the eyes, red and puffy from crying. “I love you too, Dad. Thank you. For everything.”

Quirin smiled down at his son. “Okay,” he said after a minute, “now that we can cross ‘fight off evil bandits’ off our bucket list, let’s find out who switched your chemicals, huh?”

Varian smiled his quirky buck-tooth grin, and Quirin knew he had his boy back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! I love the comments I get! <3


	10. Chapter 10

Quirin wrote to the castle a few days ago. More specifically to King Frederic. He informed him of their recent discovery, and asked if he could place more guards near Old Corona. He didn’t want to risk Varians safety. Someone out there still wanted to hurt him, and Quirin wanted to do everything possible to keep him protected. And now, he was just waiting for a response. 

Quirin walked out of his room and down the stairs. He found Varian in the living room, looking over notes and scribbling things down in his new notebook from the Princess. Ruddiger was curled up on the floor next to the fireplace, apple cores laying around him. 

“Hey Dad!” He beamed as he saw his father enter the room.

“Hello, Varian. What are you doing?” Quirin asked as he moved to pick up the apple cores. 

“Oh, I was just trying to figure out who was in the lab prior to the accident. You don’t need to pick those up, dad. I can take care of them.” Varian offered. He moved to help his dad pick up the mess Ruddiger made. 

“It’s alright, son. Thanks. I was planning on heading into the kitchen to make lunch anyway. Have you found anything interesting?” Quirin inquired. 

“Not really. I mean, the only people there with me were Princess Rapunzel, Eugene, and Lance. Oh, Pascal, Max and Ruddiger were there too, of course. But they wouldn’t have switched my chemicals. I don’t think they’d even know enough about the chemicals to know what would happen if I mixed them. But then Cass decided to join us, but I don’t think she’d do this either. Besides, she was only there for the translation. I guess someone could have snuck in while I was with Cass, but I have no way of knowing that.” He explained. 

Quirin listened intently as Varian spoke. It would seem finding the person behind the explosion would prove to be harder than he originally thought. 

“We’ll figure it out. In the meantime, how about I make us some ham sandwiches?” Quirin suggested. 

“That sounds great!” Varian happily agreed. 

The two walked into the kitchen to enjoy their lunch, when out of the blue came a knock on the door. 

Varian, who had been chatting away about something Quirin didn’t really understand, suddenly went very quiet. He looked toward the door, then looked at his dad. 

“Who do you think that could be?” He asked.

“Don’t know. Let’s find out, yes?” Quirin said as he stood up from his seat and walked toward the door. 

There stood the Captain of the Guard.

Quirin would be lying if he said his heart hadn’t stopped for a moment when he saw the Captain. The last time he was here was one of the worst moments of his life. But this time, the Captain seemed calm.

“Hello Quirin. How is Varian?” He asked casually.

“I’m okay.” Varian piped up as he appeared in the doorway. “Thanks.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” The Captain smiled at Varian before turning to Quirin once more. “The King has requested to see you. I believe it has something to do with whoever was responsible for the explosion at the lab.”

Quirin blinked. Why had the King sent the Captain to retrieve him? Couldn’t he have just sent him a letter asking him to come to the palace?

“He asked me to come and escort you personally. For safety reasons.” The Captain said, almost like he was reading Quirins mind. 

“I see.” Quirin responded. He turned to Varian. “Come, son. The King has requested to see us.”

The three of them were soon on their way to the capital. 

-

“The princess had an encounter with Cassandra a few days ago. They were at the cottage at the edge of the capital.” The King stated.

“Oh! I’ve been there! I went when I was little because I heard rumors of a hazardous gas. So I took my gas mask and went down to investigate. The gas is extremely poisonous. I named it mustard gas, after the condiment. Because it was yellow.” Varian rambled. 

“Yes! That gas was  _ everywhere! _ ” Rapunzel said. “I got trapped in the cave with it. If it weren’t for Pascal, I would’ve been a goner.” She reached up to her shoulder where Pascal was resting and gently pet him. 

“Yes, anyway…” The King continued. “Rapunzel said she talked to Cassandra about the explosion. Rapunzel?” He gestured for the princess to take over.

“She seemed shocked that someone would try to hurt Varian. She actually looked...sympathetic. I don’t think she was the one who switched his chemicals. She even made it a point to tell Varian that she  _ didn’t _ want to hurt him when she...borrowed him.” Rapunzel told the group. 

“Yeah, and then she  _ threw him across the room. _ ” Quirin said through clenched teeth. “Not to mention she stuck him in a cage that hung  _ hundreds of feet in the air.”  _

The room tensed. They all knew that Quirin had been...less than happy to hear his son had been taken by Cassandra. He didn’t even find out until Varian had come home with bruised ribs and couldn’t stop telling the truth. 

“Look, I know you’re still mad at her, Quirin. But you weren’t there. You didn’t see how distressed she looked to hear what he’d gone through. She was Varian’s friend, before she took the moonstone. She even saved his life when we first met, and again at the expo.” Rapunzel defended.

“With all due respect, Your Highness, she’s saved  _ your _ life too. And didn’t she try to crush you in that tower?” Quirin countered. 

“Dad!” Varian exclaimed.

“No, he’s right. Cass has changed.” Rapunzel said quietly, “But I don’t think she did this. Not to a kid. She wouldn’t do that.” 

“Well, if all you called me here for is to tell me that Cassandra has been crossed off the list of people who tried to kill my son, I think we’ll be leaving now.” Quirin fumed. “Come on, Varian, we’re-”

Quirin was cut off by the sound of Varian screaming in pain, hands flying to his head. He crumpled to the ground as everyone in the room rushed toward him. 

“What’s going on?! Is he hurt?” Rapunzel asked. She kneeled down beside him along with Quirin.

“I-I don’t know! Varian, what’s wrong? What’s happening?” Quirin asked worriedly. 

Varian continued yelling, unable to say anything except, “It hurts! Oh God, it  _ hurts _ , make it  _ stop! _ ” His throat caught and gut-wrenching sobs tore through his chest.

The pain was so bad he couldn’t breathe. It was sharp, and heavy. He couldn’t think about anything other than his pounding head. And then he could see someone. He saw...a girl. A short girl, who had pale skin and bright purple eyes. Her gray hair was tied up into two buns on each side of her head, and she wore a dark dress. 

Varian cried out, “She’s in my head! She’s in my head,  _ get her out of my head! _ ”

Everyone looked at Varian in horror. They had no idea what he was talking about, or how to help him. They carried him to a room and ordered one of the doctors. And as suddenly as it came, Varian’s pain went away. 

And he stopped breathing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wait...what?  
> Let me know what you guys think just happened! I love to hear your theories!!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I just quickly wanted to say thank you for all the amazing comments I’ve been getting! I am so happy you guys are liking my story and every comment I get makes my day. So thank you for all your support! <3
> 
> Enjoy this chapter!

“He’s not breathing,  _ why isn’t he breathing?! _ ” Quirin cried. His voice sounded panicked and devastating. 

“ _ Varian! _ Open your eyes,  _ please son, _ open your eyes!” He was crying, something he hadn’t done since his wife passed. 

“Captain, get Quirin out of here. He doesn’t need to see this.” The King instructed.

The Captain went to try and pull Quirin out of the room, but Quirin wouldn’t have it.

“No! No, don’t make me leave! I  _ need  _ to be here for him. I need to be here when he wakes up!” He pleaded. 

Eventually Quirin stopped fighting and let the Captain guide him out of the room. 

“I’m sorry, Quirin. I really hope he’ll be alright.” The Captain said. “Why don’t you stay in the next room over? You can be close to Varian, and you can try to get some rest.”

Quirin didn’t respond. He just walked into the guest room he was offered and closed the door. He knew he wasn’t going to get any rest, not until he knew Varian was going to be okay. 

He hadn’t seen him breathing. He had _stopped_ _breathing_. Quirin felt sick to his stomach, and he had to sit down. He buried his face in his hands, and he cried for his son. 

-

Zhan Tiri smiled to herself. She had succeeded. Finally. 

The little brat wouldn’t die no matter what she threw at him. She switched the chemicals, and that didn’t work. She gave him a dream, and that didn’t work at all. None of it had worked. 

She knew she had to get rid of the boy. He was destined to become the next Demanitus, and she couldn’t have that. 

He was the only one who could defeat her.

She had to resort to actually  _ going into  _ Varian’s head, which was too much for his little body to handle. It didn’t take long, but it had physically drained her, and she needed to rest. 

After all, she had a kingdom to overrun. 

-

Quirin heard a quiet knock at the door. He jumped up and quickly made his way to the door. When he opened it, he saw an exasperated Rapunzel. Her eyes were red and swollen, like she’d been crying. 

Eugene was there too, accompanying Rapunzel on her visit. She was going to need him there. 

“How’s Varian? Has he woken up yet?” Quirin immediately asked. 

“Quirin...I’m so sorry. Varian hasn’t woken up. When he stopped breathing...he never...he didn't-“ She halted, tears forming in her eyes. 

Quirin’s whole world came crashing down on top of him. He gasped for air, suddenly feeling like the room was becoming smaller. His breathing became fast and uneven, and he couldn’t think. 

Varian was dead. 

His whole family was gone. Just like that. Varian wasn’t ready, he was just a  _ kid,  _ and he didn’t deserve to die. What had happened? Why did he suddenly collapse with pain, screaming like someone was torturing him? 

Quirin wanted answers. And he wanted them  _ now.  _

-

Cassandra noticed a change in her small friend. She was normally angry, or trying to get Cass to do something that would help her reach her destiny. But now, she seemed happy.  _ Giddy,  _ even. 

“What’s up with you? You’ve been acting strange since this morning.” Cass inquired. 

“Never mind me. I’ve just accomplished a small task that will later help us fulfill your destiny.” The girl responded. 

“Which is…?” Cass asked. She was growing impatient with the girl’s vague answers. 

“It doesn’t matter. What matters is-we now have the all clear to invade Corona.” Zhan Tiri told her. 

Cassandra blinked. “What changed? Why all of a sudden  _ now  _ is the time we take Corona?” 

“Cass!” 

Cassandra turned her head to see Rapunzel running toward her. Zhan Tiri backed away to watch from the shadows. 

Rapunzel knew Cass would be at her new tower made of black rocks. That’s the first place she thought to go when she needed to find her. 

“What do  _ you  _ want?” Cass spat. 

“Cass...it’s Varian. He...he died.” Rapunzel said, out of breath. 

Cassandra felt the color drain from her face. Varian...was dead? 

“How?” She asked weakly, her voice barely a whisper. 

“We thought you could tell us.” Rapunzel said simply. 

“You think  _ I  _ did this? What kind of monster do you think I am?” Cassandra spoke, offended. 

“Cass, I-I don’t think you killed him.” Rapunzel responded quickly. “But, what happened to him was unusual. And I thought you might have an idea what happened.” She explained. 

“Fine. What happened?” Cass gave in. 

“He came to the castle with his father yesterday. We were trying to figure out who switched the chemicals in his lab, and all of the sudden he started screaming in pain. It was a horrible sound. He was in  _ so  _ much pain.” It hurt Rapunzel to remember. “All he could say was, ‘She’s in my head, get her out of my head.’ And then, he...he stopped breathing.” 

Cassandra was speechless. Varian was just,  _ gone? _ It was only a few weeks ago he was trying to convince her to come back to the light. And now he’s  _ dead _ . 

“I...I’m so sorry Rapunzel. But I don’t know what to tell you.” She said, without emotion. 

“Cass, what about your friend? The girl? Do you think she might have an idea on what happened?” Rapunzel pleaded. 

Cass sighed. “Sure. If that’s what you want, I’ll ask her.” She mumbled. “Now, if that’s all, I’ve got business to attend to. 

“Thank you, Cass. I appreciate your help.” Rapunzel sighed before turning to walk off. 

“And...Rapunzel?” She turned to look back at Cassandra. “I’m sorry. About Varian. He was a good kid.” 

“Yeah...he was, wasn’t he?” Rapunzel smiled. “I’ll never forget the first time we met him.” 

“Me neither.” Cass agreed. Her mind wandered to when she and Rapunzel went to Varian for help with her hair. He was so bubbly. So full of energy. So  _ Varian.  _ Cass snapped back to reality. “You should be going now. I bet no one knows you came to see me?”

“No...they wouldn’t exactly approve. I’ll be on my way then. Bye Cass.” 

Cassandra didn’t respond as Rapunzel walked away. 

Zhan Tiri re-emerged from the darkness. “It’s a pity about your little friend.” She said. 

“Did you have anything to do with this?” Cass muttered. 

“What? What makes you think-“ The girl started. 

“Oh, don’t try to lie to me. I  _ know  _ you had something to do with this. Now. Tell me.  _ What did you do? _ ” 

“Hm. I should’ve known you were clever enough to figure it out. Fine. Yes, I did have something to do with the boy's death. If you haven’t already put it together, I am Zhan Tiri, the demon. Demanitus defeated me long ago, but the clash of sun and moon released me from my prison, and now, I am back. The boy, Varian, was destined to become the next Demanitus. So naturally, I had to get rid of him. Simple, really. Though it did take a few tries to finally kill him.” She explained. 

Cass was absolutely horrified. And livid. She had been used. Betrayed.  _ Again.  _ The girl didn’t really want to help her “fulfill her destiny.” She just wanted to be free. And it had ended in Varian’s death. 

_ “Bring. Him. Back.”  _ She ordered. 

Zhan Tiri laughed. “Oh, silly girl. I can’t bring him back. He’s dead, and death is final.”

Cass raises her sword to the small girl. “You and I both know that isn’t quite true. So I am telling you, to  _ bring him back. Now.”  _

“And what makes you think I’ll do that?” Zhan Tiri asked. 

“Because if you don’t, I will use the moonstone against you. If it was the clash of sun and moon that brought you back, then I will use it to send you back where you came from.” Cass snarled. 

The demon smirked at the foolish girl. 

“I’d like to see you try.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, my hand slipped. 
> 
> Let me know what you think! I promise things will turn around soon!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! @missa2910 on tumblr made fanart to go with this story!!! You should check it out, it’s pretty cool!   
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/missa2910
> 
> Also, Quirin has some pretty dark thoughts in this chapter. Not necessarily suicidal, but getting there. So read with caution! 
> 
> Enjoy!

Quirin was alone. He had no one. His family was gone. 

He sat in the guest room he has been given. It was dark, and cold. He longed to feel numb; he didn’t want to feel this pain. Not again. 

He heard a soft knock at the door, which snapped him out of his dark thoughts. It was Eugene. 

“Hey Quirin. Uh, the King would like to see you.” He said as he entered the mournful room. 

“I’m not in the mood.” Quirin replied, turning away. 

“Look, I know this has been hard. It’s been hard for all of us, and I can’t even imagine what you’re going through. But The King wants to speak with you, and I think you should go and talk to him.” Eugene spoke softly. 

“Fine. You want me to talk to the King? I’ll talk to him.” He huffed as he stood up. 

He didn’t feel like doing anything, or talking to anyone. When he lost his wife, he had felt the same way. Except when he lost his wife, he still had Varian. He had a  _ purpose.  _ And that purpose was to raise his son. 

But now? Now he had no reason to live. Why should he be the one alive when everyone he loved had died?

He followed Eugene down the seemingly never ending hall until they made it to the throne room, where the King and Queen sat. 

“Quirin.” The King greeted. “First, we are so sorry about your loss. If there is anything we can do, please don’t hesitate to let us know.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Quirin said softly. He had heard the same thing over and over for the past few hours, and he was sick of it. “Is there a reason for calling me here, or did you just want to give me your  _ condolences? _ ” He spat. 

The Queen spoke next. “Quirin, we really are very sorry. Varian was a great kid, and he will be missed-“

“What can  _ you  _ say about it, Your Majesty? You hated my son for what he did to you. Why would you feel  _ sorry  _ for him?” Quirin snapped at the Queen. 

“Quirin, your son may have made mistakes, and no, I’m not sure I will ever really forgive him. But he was just a  _ child.  _ He was lost, and afraid when he committed those crimes.” She paused for a moment, then said, “I will never forget when you and your wife first came to the castle with Varian. Just two years old, eyes full of wonder. His smile was so warm it could melt the cold sorrows of losing Rapunzel. I loved every time he would visit the castle. Varian was a smart, passionate, thoughtful child. He didn’t deserve all the pain he went through.” 

By the time she finished, both she and Quirin had tears running down their faces.

“Which brings us to why we called you in here.” The King continued. “We thought you’d want Varian buried next to your wife in Old Corona. Is this correct?” 

Quirin didn’t have a chance to respond before Nigel came bursting in the room. 

“Your Majesties!! Please come quick!” He shouted. 

“Nigel, please, not now. I am-“ The King started. 

“Your Majesty. It’s the boy, Varian. He’s  _ gone.”  _ He interrupted. 

The whole room went dead quiet. 

“What do you mean,  _ gone? _ ” The King was the first to speak. 

“We went into the room to move him to his burial site. And he was just...gone! Disappeared!” Nigel explained. 

“Well,  _ find him _ ! He can’t have just gotten up and walked away!” The King bellowed, and Nigel left hurriedly. 

Quirin was frozen in place. Varian had disappeared. Did someone take him? Why would they want him? Where  _ was  _ he? 

“Quirin, I am so sorry about this. We will locate Varian. For now, you are dismissed.” The King told him. 

Quirin didn’t say anything as he walked out of the room. He didn’t know what to think. Except: 

He had to find Varian. 

-

Cassandra carried the lifeless Varian over her right shoulder. He was incredibly light, so it wasn’t a struggle. 

She  _ had  _ to get him back. It was her fault he had died, and she needed to fix it. If she hadn’t trusted that stupid ghost Zhan Tiri, he’d still be alive. 

Varian was freezing cold to the touch, and his face had no color. It was a terrifying sight, and Cass just wanted to get back to the tower. 

When she made it to her tall dark home, Cassandra dropped Varian in front of Zhan Tiri. He flopped to the ground, completely limp. 

“ _ You are going to bring him back. _ ” Cass hissed. “I’m not going to help you anymore. Please, bring him back.” 

“Stupid girl. Why would I bring back the one thing that can defeat me? Especially if you’re not going to help me. If I brought him back, you would go back to your friends, and I’d be left to fight alone.” Zhan Tiri said. 

Cassandra thought for a moment. Then she said, “If you bring Varian back, I will stay with you. I will fight with you, I promise. Just please, bring him back.” She tried.

Zhan Tiri paused to think. She had gotten rid of the boy, but in doing so she also lost Cassandra. She can’t take Corona without the moonstone. But if she brought him back...she could still have a chance at winning if she had the moonstone at her disposal. 

She looked at Varian, lying on the floor, devoid of life. He _was_ just a child, what damage could he do to a warlock like her? She thought for a moment more before sighing and turning to Cassandra. 

“Your  _ compassion _ is going to be the end of you, girl.”

She flicked her hand toward the boy. 

And Varian gasped. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this was originally supposed to be the end, but I decided to write one more chapter. So we’re close to the end! 
> 
> And yeah, I know resurrection is a classic Disney thing, but I mean, I had to bring our boy back.
> 
> Let me know what you guys think!


	13. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are. The last chapter 
> 
> I want to thank each and every one of you who has read my story and left comments, it means so much to me. Every time I get a comment it makes me smile. Thank you all for being so supportive <3 So without further ado,
> 
> Ladies and gents! I give you.....!
> 
> The last chapter! Enjoy!

Varian sat up quickly, coughing violently until he threw up. Zhan Tiri had left the room, instructing Cassandra to take Varian outside and explain to him what happened. 

Cassandra carried Varian’s small body to the outside of her tower and gently laid him down, leaning him against a tree. He was slipping in and out of consciousness and looked very confused. 

“Hey kid. Welcome back.” Cassandra said, flashing a tight smile. 

“Wha-? Where am I?” Varian asked with a groan. His head was throbbing, and he was unnaturally cold. He did come back from the dead, after all. 

“There’s not much time to explain.” Cassandra said hurriedly. “Listen…Varian, I’m really sorry for everything I did to you. I was...not thinking clearly.”

“Yeah, I’ve been there,” Varian chucked, “So wait, you’re on our side again?”

Cass sighed. “Not necessarily.” 

“I don’t understand-“ 

“Varian, you were dead. Zhan Tiri, the ancient demon, killed you. Actually, she tried killing you multiple times.” Cassandra explained. 

Varian was astonished. He had been...dead? Why? Why did Zhan Tiri want  _ him  _ dead? He was just a kid, a kid who had a tendency to blow things up every now and again. And what did Cass mean by trying to kill him  _ multiple  _ times? Then he realized:

“She was the one who switched my chemicals! And..and she was the one in my dream...not once, but  _ twice!  _ She gave me a dream in your tower  _ and  _ at my house! But...I don’t...why?” 

Cassandra looked at Varian a moment before saying, “You know how the story goes. Zhan Tiri was defeated by…?” 

“Demanitus, yes. But what does any of that have to do with me?” Varian inquired. 

“According to her, you are supposed to become the next Demanitus. You are supposed to defeat her.” Cass slowly explained. 

Varian’s heart skipped a beat. Demanatus had been his childhood hero. (Well, other than Flynn Rider.) He had studied his work, deciphered his scrolls. And now, Varian was supposed to  _ become  _ him.

He didn’t know if he should be thrilled or terrified. 

“You gotta get out of here kid. Zhan Tiri is going to try to attack Corona soon. Go to your dad. Figure something out.” Cassandra whispered. She didn’t know if Zhan Tiri was listening. 

“What about you? You’re helping me...but you’re not on our side?” Varian asked.

“I had to promise to stay and fight with her in exchange for your life.” Cass replied simply. 

Varian’s eyes widened. “You..did that..for me?” He asked in disbelief. He couldn’t fathom how someone would do that for him. 

“It’s the kinda thing friends do, right?” She replied with a smirk. “Now get outta here. You’ve got a battle to prepare for.” 

“Right. Yeah. Um...c’ya later then.” Varian said as he started to walk away. “And..Cass? Thank you. I don’t know if I can ever repay you for this.”

“Just protect Corona. That’s how you can repay me.” Cass replied as she turned back toward her tower. 

And they parted ways. 

-

Quirin finished packing up a bag of supplies and looked out the window, staring at the cloudy sky. He was going to find his son, no matter what. 

The King had ordered Quirin to go home until Varian had been located. Which he  _ had _ done, but he didn’t plan on staying. How was he supposed to just sit here while everyone else looked for  _ his son? _ No, he had to find him. He had to find his body, bury him next to his mother. 

Ruddiger entered the room and sat down next to the bag of supplies. He looked up at Quirin sadly. He had tried feeding him, but the raccoon just wouldn’t eat. Quirin was worried that the poor animal would starve himself and he’d lose the last piece of Varian he had left. 

Qurin returned his gaze to the sky, and he saw a figure in the fields. It was distant, and he figured it must’ve been one of the children that lived in the village. They were often playing out in the fields. Varian used to do the same, when he was younger. Looking for new animals, or specimens, as he would call them. 

The figure started to get bigger, and Quirin squinted, trying to find out who it was. 

Once the person was close enough, Quirin could make out details. It was a small, skinny person, and it appeared to be a boy. Reminded him of Varian. Then, as the figure drew closer, he realized:

It  _ was  _ Varian. 

At first, Quirin didn’t believe it. His son was gone. But the longer he looked, the more certain it became. It was Varian. 

Quirin stumbled out the door, running toward his son with great speed. And when Varian saw his dad, he started running as well. 

They collided into each other, tears streaming down Quirin’s face. 

“Son! Oh, my son, you’re  _ alive! _ I thought I lost you! But you’re  _ here! _ Oh, son. I love you so much. I will  _ never  _ let  _ anything  _ happen to you again.” Quirin cried, rambling. 

Varian just held onto his dad. He didn’t want to let go.

“I’m here dad. And I’m not going away again.” Varian said. 

“But, how?” Quirin asked as he pulled away. “Varian, you were  _ dead.  _ Where did you go? What happened? _ ”  _

“Cassandra. She saved me.” Varian replied simply, but Quirin’s puzzled look signaled for Varian to explain further. 

Varian told his dad everything that Cassandra told him. Zhan Tiri, Demanitus, and Cassandra’s promise. 

Quirin couldn’t be more grateful for Cassandra. All of his past grudges against her had disappeared. 

Quirin also felt a surge of pride as his son told him that he was destined to become the next Demanitus.  _ His son _ was going to help defeat Zhan Tiri. He could hardly believe it. 

“Cassandra said Zhan Tiri is set to attack Corona any minute.” Varian said with concern. 

“Well then,” Quirin said. “Looks like we’ve got work to do. Got a plan?”

“Uh..nope.”

“That’s fine, we’ll figure this out together. You and me. We will protect Corona. Okay?” Quirin assured. 

Varian hugged his dad in response, holding onto him as fresh tears started to form in his eyes. 

Quirin knew they had a lot of work to do, a lot to prepare for. But right now, he had his son back. And after this series of traumatic events…

That’s all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this!! I thought this was a good place to end it, I’m pretty satisfied with it. But if anyone wants to write a sequel with the actual battle with Zhan Tiri, go ahead! Just make sure to give credit :)
> 
> Thank you again for reading! Until next time! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think, I greatly appreciate any comments! 
> 
> Also- Works that inspired this fic:  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/13595349/chapters/31208847
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/14401929/chapters/33259014


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